Articles by this author

ViewsMonday, July 6, 2015 - 6:30amJust Say No The No vote to austerity by a margin of 62 to 38 is a stunning vindication of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's tactical gamble and political savvy. However, the Greeks and the austerity-mongers, most notably in Germany, remain as far apart as ever. The press and the European financial elite...Read more

ViewsMonday, June 15, 2015 - 9:45amThe Real Meaning Behind Obama's Trade DefeatThe labor movement won big in the defeat of the trade package Friday. But a lot of the commentators are somewhat mystified. After all, the labor movement is a smaller fraction of the workforce than it was when NAFTA was approved over labor's opposition in 1993. And the industrial workforce today is...Read more

ViewsSaturday, April 18, 2015 - 2:00pmObama’s Trade Agreements are a Gift to CorporationsOn Thursday, legislation moved forward that would give President Obama authority to negotiate two contentious trade deals: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). But for the most part, these aren’t trade agreements at all. They’re a gift...Read more

ViewsMonday, April 13, 2015 - 8:00amHillary Clinton: From Symbolism to SpecificsWe progressives should feel pretty good about ourselves after watching Hillary Clinton's launch video. The core economic theme was there -- most American's aren't getting ahead; the top is taking too much. And the social theme was stunning--a heavy emphasis on the racial and ethnic mosaic that is...Read more

ViewsMonday, March 30, 2015 - 9:15am5 Radical Ideas Hillary Should SupportI've argued that Hillary Clinton is at risk of being a weak presidential nominee -- on several counts. She seems like yesterday's news rather than tomorrow's. The excitement of a having a breakthrough woman president is blunted by the fact that her husband got there first. She will raise a ton of...Read more

ViewsMonday, March 23, 2015 - 9:15amWhy the 99 Percent Keeps LosingOur current political situation is unprecedented. The vast majority of Americans keep falling behind economically because of changes in society's ground rules, while the rich get even richer -- yet this situation doesn't translate into a winning politics. If anything, the right keeps gaining and...Read more

ViewsTuesday, March 17, 2015 - 8:15amThe Dance of Liberals and RadicalsMarch 15 was the 50th anniversary of Lyndon Johnson's best speech, his "We Shall Overcome" address applying the final round of pressure on Congress to enact the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Much of the speech invoked the bravery, dignity and historical rightness of Martin Luther King Jr., and his fellow...Read more

ViewsMonday, February 16, 2015 - 7:30amCan Greece Force a New Deal?Greece and the European Union could face a showdown in their debt talks as early as this week. And if you had to place odds right now, the likelihood is that the stubbornness of Europe's senior leaders will create a catastrophe for both Greece and the EU. Here is the state of play. The new Greek...Read more

ViewsMonday, January 19, 2015 - 7:00amThe Politics of GestureLooking forward to Tuesday's State of the Union address, we are seeing a somewhat bolder Barack Obama. The White House has already pre-announced or leaked several "fourth-quarter initiatives," in the president's words. Some of these can be accomplished by executive order; most will require...Read more

ViewsMonday, January 5, 2015 - 8:30amAusterity Killing You? How About a Trade Deal?Europe is right on the edge of another downward lurch into prolonged deflation. GDP growth is hovering right around zero. Germany, as an export powerhouse, continues to thrive, but at the expense of the rest of the continent -- victims of German-imposed budget austerity demands. The euro, which...Read more